Mavericks' Cooper Flagg: Seeking better efficiency in Year 2
Rotowire
Flagg (ankle) could be working alongside a new member of the starting lineup after Dallas selected Morez Johnson with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
P.J. Washington and either Dereck Lively (foot) or Daniel Gafford remain the early favorites to comprise the Mavericks' starting frontcourt in 2026-27, but Johnson certainly poses a significant risk to that projection. Dallas is set to finally have Kyrie Irving back in the fold next year following his knee surgery, and the star guard's presence might have more of an impact on Flagg's performance than Johnson's. That in mind, Flagg is in jeopardy of seeing a downtick in usage, but he shot just 29.5 percent from deep during his rookie campaign and could see more open looks from downtown with Irving in the lineup.
Flagg (ankle) was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team for the 2025-26 season Wednesday, Shams Charania of ESPN reports
Flagg was a unanimous selection and is the first Maverick since Luka Doncic to earn a spot on the team. The 19-year-old is coming off a magnificent inaugural campaign, finishing with averages of 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 0.9 blocks and 1.2 steals across 33.5 minutes in 70 games, good enough to earn the Rookie of the Year award. With Dallas recently parting ways with head coach Jason Kidd, it's unknown how his departure will impact Flagg, specifically, what position he will play from game-to-game. Still, he is anticipated to remain in the All-Star conversation for years to come while potentially flirting with an MVP award somewhere down the line. Flagg's only noteworthy flaws were his 2.3 turnovers per contest as well as his subpar shooting from behind the arc, with the former Duke Blue Devil sinking only 29.5 percent of his three-point shots. He also suffered an ankle injury at the end of the season, although he's expected to be ready to go well before the start of the new year.
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